Celestial Trial
by wanderingsheep
Summary: Lucy awakens to find herself in the Celestial Spirit World. She just wants to return home to her friends, but finds there is something she must do before she can.
1. Awake and Confused

This is a sequel to my story The Destruction of Mercurius, so you might want to read that one first if you haven't already.  
Finally got around to writing a sequel! :D This is probably going to end up much longer than the first, something I realized while writing this chapter. Anyway, enjoy the story and I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can!

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

...

Lucy yawned and opened her eyes. She sat up in her bed and stretched her arms upward. Today was going to be a good da-  
"Ouch!" Lucy yelped, and then touched her rib cage where she had felt a sharp pain when she'd stretched. She lifted a bit of her shirt to reveal a large and ugly bruise the size of her fist on the lower part of her rib cage.

_When did I get this..? _Lucy wondered. "Puuuun~!" Lucy's thoughts were interrupted by Plue, who had been awakened from a nap and had wandered over to Lucy, worried about what had caused her to yell. "Eh? Plue? I didn't call you out!" Lucy yelled. First the bruise she didn't remember receiving and now Plue summoning himself. Lucy was officially freaked out. "What's going on..?" Lucy muttered to herself and then climbed out of bed.

For the first time since waking up, Lucy took in her surroundings. "Where the heck am I?" She cried out. She was in a room she didn't recognize, and now that she was thinking about it, dressed in unfamiliar clothes. The room was rather large and interesting. Beneath her feet the carpet resembled lush green grass, and if Lucy hadn't been standing on it barefoot, she might've mistaken it for real grass. The walls were even more intense than the carpet. They were painted to resemble a beautiful starry night; Lucy could make out several constellations from the stars. Between the floor and the walls, Lucy felt as though she was standing in the middle of a meadow on a starry night. The furniture of the room was rather plain in comparison. A simple dresser stood against the wall parallel to Lucy's bed. Suddenly the door began to open, and Lucy prepared herself against whoever might enter.

"Good morning Princess! I am glad to see you've awakened."

"Eh! Virgo too? What's going on here?" By this point Lucy's eyes were bulging out of her head. She half-heartedly wondered if this was all a dream.

"Noisy as always, Princess. Anyway, come with me, everyone else will be glad to see you are awake and you must be hungry, you were asleep for a full day."

"I was asleep a full day? What's going on?" Lucy thought about the bruise on her side again, but Virgo offered no response; only led Lucy out of the room. "Puun~" Plue waddled after the pair.

Virgo led Lucy out to a much larger room. This room was much different from the bedroom; it was cozy and plain in comparison. They walked through this room and went outside. Lucy now realized where she was: in the Celestial Spirit Realm.

Immediately, they were surrounded by three very familiar celestial spirits. Two looked pleased and relieved to see Lucy, and the third had a grim expression on his face.

"Lucy-san, your body is looking nice as ever!" Taurus said while ogling her chest.

"Shall I fix your hair? It looks a little messy from your long rest -ebi"

"C'mon now guys..." Lucy said while backing away from the smothering spirits. Right into another pair of arms that immediately embraced her.

"Just can't keep away from me can you Lucy? Now's not the time though, there is an important matter involving you." Loki said in an off voice that worried Lucy.

"What's going on? Virgo wouldn't tell me anything." Lucy asked as she wrestled herself out of Loki's embrace.

"And neither will I. It is for the King to tell you."

"Umm, excuse me, Lucy? I am very glad to see you are okay but the King told me to inform you that you are to have breakfast with him this morning." Aries said as she walked over. "Okay, where is the King?" Lucy asked, relieved to hear she might finally get some answers.

"I'm sorry… He also told me to lead you to the castle, where you will be eating." Aries said with a bow. "Lead the way Aries." Loki said as he walked over and touched her on the shoulder. Aries seemed to blush a little and replied "O…okay"

The walk to the Celestial King's was a short one. Lucy had gazed in wonder at the beauty of the Celestial Realm, which she had not truly appreciated the last time she had come, while in training for the Grand Magic Tournament. Although Loki had told Lucy he couldn't answer many of her questions, he did answer a few along the way, and through him, Lucy learned that she had been recovering in a sort of hospital suite owned by the King. This suite was conveniently located close to his castle where Lucy was to dine with him. The Celestial King's castle was similar to Mercurius, only it had a sense of magic and wonder to it.

"Ah! Princess, there you are! I've been waiting here for you to bring you to the dining room." Virgo called over. She had been standing near the gate of the castle.

_How did she get here before us..? _Lucy wondered, and then sighed, deciding it didn't matter. She just wanted to get to the King so her questions would be answered. "Wasn't Aries supposed to bring me there?" Lucy asked.

"No, she only had to bring you to the castle, I will lead you inside to the King. He also sends his thanks to Aries and dismisses her." With that said, Aries turned to leave.

"Hold on, thank you for bringing me Aries!" Lucy called out. Aries turned to face her master again, and smiled shyly in response.

"Hey Lucy, I'm going to head out now too, I have other matters to attend to. You should be okay with Virgo." Loki said before turning away and leaving. Lucy waved in response and turned to face Virgo.

"Right this way Princess," Virgo called, and Lucy turned to follow her through the enormous gates and into the castle. Upon entering the castle, Lucy gasped at the size of the room; to say it was huge would have been an understatement. The tiles on the floor were each about a square meter long and were an off-white color and looked pristine and shiny. The walls were a rich emerald green painted in an intricate pattern that looked to Lucy to be optical illusions of some sort. Virgo led Lucy through the room to a giant flight of stairs, but Lucy was so busy glancing around the beautiful room that she didn't notice when Virgo stopped, and walked right into her.

"Princess," Virgo said. "I think it would be best if I carried you the rest of the way so you don't get tired."

"What? No, it's fine, I feel well enough to walk myself but thanks for offeri- Hey! Put me down!" Lucy cried as Virgo picked her up and threw her over her shoulders.

"We will be there shortly." Virgo stated.

"I'm going to be sick!" Lucy cried out as the spirit set out on what seemed to be hyper speed, jostling Lucy on every step of the way though not intentionally. Motion sickness reminded Lucy of a certain person. _Sick… Hmm, I wonder if Natsu and the others know what's going on, or where I am. Could they be nearby? _Lucy wondered.

With a final step, Virgo stopped moving and placed Lucy down. The ride had disconcerted Lucy, and it took her a moment to regain balance.

"We are here. The Celestial King is right through these doors and waiting for you."

"Erm, I see. Well, thank you for bringing me here." Lucy said as her dizziness faded.

Lucy faced the large wooden doors in front of her. The left door had the sun carved into it, and the details of it amazed Lucy. The right hand door was carved in a similar manner, only with the moon. Lucy reached for the doorknobs, and with both hands pulled open the doors in front of her. What she saw shocked her entirely.

...  
End of the first chapter! Thanks for reading! This is sort of a slow start to the story, but I plan on making it a little more interesting in future chapters, I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Meeting with the King

Second chapter! :D Meant to have it out a bit sooner but then laziness and procrastination got in the way... Anyways, it's out now so... enjoy!

. . .

Lucy stood there, stunned. Words failed her for a short second, and then she found them. "My room!" she yelled, before her sat the Celestial King drinking a cup of tea and waving at her. In her room. "What is my room doing in the Celestial Spirit realm?" she yelled in utter confusion. ""How did it even get here!" she exasperated.

"Well don't just stand there, come in." The King called to her from his seat while waving her inside. Lucy felt a bit of agitation as she was invited into her own room. She knew standing in the door wouldn't get her any answers though, so she obeyed.

"It's a nice place you have here." The King remarked.

"How did you send it to the Spirit realm?" Lucy asked, taking a seat. She decided being annoyed wouldn't get her any answers, and figured she should be used to people breaking into her house. Natsu had done it often enough.

"Do not worry; your house is not in the Spirit realm."

"What? Then are we back home?" She asked, feeling herself getting a bit excited to be reunited with her teammates.

"No, we are indeed in the Celestial Spirit realm. This room has a spell on it that makes it capable of changing into whatever environment I want. I thought you might be more comfortable in a familiar setting, so I changed the room to make it look like your home. Go ahead and get yourself comfortable, this will be a long talk."

"Talk? I thought I was here for breakfast."

"Yes, but I have something important to discuss with you while you eat." Just then, almost as if on cue, Virgo walked in with a large covered platter that Lucy assumed was breakfast. "Princess, your Highness" Virgo said while nodding toward each as she said their name. She set the platter down on Lucy's table, and then took her leave. As she left another spirit, unfamiliar to Lucy, walked in and set down a plate and silverware beside the large platter. The spirit left and then returned with a pitcher of orange juice and a glass. She set that too, on the table. Finally, the spirit bowed toward the king. The King thanked her as she left.

Lucy got up to examine what had been left on her table. "They only left one plate..."

"That's okay. I won't be eating with you."

Lucy sighed, and then lifted the cover from the platter. Underneath was a stack of steaming pancakes that smelled heavenly to Lucy. She served herself, and got a glass of juice. She reseated herself and began eating as the King began to speak.

"I trust you were comfortable in the hospital suite and feel fully rested now."

Lucy remembered the chaotic morning for the first time since entering the room. "Ah, yes. Thank you for taking such good care of me." She replied. "But why am I in the Celestial Spirit realm in the first place, and how did I get this bruise?" She showed the King the large bruise on her rib cage.

The King seemed taken aback. "Don't you remember what happened?"

Lucy swallowed a sip of orange juice and blinked. "Remember what?"

Now the King sighed. "It seems I must start from the beginning. What is the last thing you do remember?"

"I remember… being in Mercurius. I think it was collapsing. I was really badly injured and oh! That must be where this bruise came from. Anyway, that's the last thing I remember." Lucy said.

"Well, I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn't remember events after that. You _did_ fall unconscious. When you became unconscious, one of your guild mates, Natsu, came to rescue you from Mercurius. It was indeed collapsing. He saved you from the castle, and met up with a few other members from your guild who were out looking for you both. You were dying Lucy. They thought you had already passed away. It was then that I realized I needed to step in, so I sent your body away from them and to the Celestial Spirit realm. I let them know what was going on and let you recover in the hospital suite. You rested for a full day, and woke up today. I'm sure you know what happened once you woke up better than I do."

Lucy felt guilt for making her fellow guild members worry. Another thought came to her then: "A _full _day? That means it's been three months since I've been home! I have to get back now! They must've been so worried about me!" Lucy stood up abruptly. The empty plate that had been on her lap fell and smashed on the ground. The sound caused Lucy to jump. She looked at the smashed pieces of plate for a moment. "I'm sorry; I'll get something to clean it up." And she scurried off to find a broom to sweep up the mess. When she came back, the King hesitated, and then spoke.

"You… can't go back. Not yet anyway."

Lucy stopped cleaning the mess and looked at the King. "What do you mean I can't go back yet? I have to!"

"I can't let you leave just like that. You almost died before and that cannot happen. If I hadn't intervened you would be dead right now."

Lucy had now finished cleaning the mess. She looked at the King. "What do you mean I _can't _die?"

"I've already said too much. All you need to know is this: I cannot simply let you go. If you want to return home, you must face a trial. If you pass the trial, it will be enough to prove to me that you have gotten stronger, and that it is safe to let you leave."

Lucy was agitated now. She just wanted to return home so she could see her friends, to assure them that she was safe and that she was back for good. At the same time, she knew the trial was necessary. She knew she was weaker than all of her teammates, and maybe she held them back sometimes. If this trial that the Celestial King spoke of would make her stronger in some way, then she wanted to face it.

"All right then, where's this trial that I have to face? I'll do it and pass. I'll prove to you that I'm strong enough and return home." Lucy said with determination radiating off of her.

"Let me explain the trial to you first. If you still want to face it after, you can head off to face it at noon."

Lucy sat patiently and waited for the King to gather himself enough to continue explaining.

"There are… consequences to this trial Lucy. I need you to understand that. You want to head home as soon as possible, but if you fail this trial, I will not allow you to leave until you have proved yourself. Also, I will not allow you to retry the trial immediately. If you fail, I will penalize you for one week. That time will be spent training you to become stronger."

"One week! That's almost two years back home! There's no way I can wait that long!" Lucy exclaimed. The determination that had once radiated off of Lucy now wavered. If she messed up, it would be almost two years' worth of time that would have passed on earth.

"Alternatively, you can wait a day or two, surely a more reasonable amount of time, and spend that in training and face the trial in a day or two."

Lucy gave it a moment's thought. "No, I still want to face it today." She said stubbornly.

"Wait, before you decide, let me explain the trial to you. The basic objective of it is to obtain a scale off of the water snake Hydra. It sounds simple, but it is not so, for Hydra is a surly spirit who dislikes to be bothered, especially if he is sleeping. He will most likely attack you to scare you off, but you cannot be intimidated. You must defeat him in a fight and obtain the scale. Then you must travel all the way back here. If you cannot make it back, or if you lose in your battle against Hydra, you will fail the trial. Also, since this is a battle to prove _your _strength, you will not be allowed to use any of your spirits for any kind of help. You will be allowed to use your fleuve d'étoiles though. Now, what is your answer?"

Lucy thought about it for a minute. She was deeply intimidated by the thought of not being able to call on her spirits. A full week was a long time to have to wait to go home. She thought about it for a moment, and decided it would be best if she waited a day.

Before she could tell the Celestial Spirit King her answer, she thought about her guild. She saw everyone from Fairy Tail in her mind. Natsu flashed before her eyes. _C'mon Lucy! I know you can do it! _She heard him say to her in her head. Smiling pictures of Happy, Gray, Erza and Wendy quickly followed. She knew what they would tell her. Fairy Tail was not a guild to wait around twiddling their thumbs. They were a guild of action.

"I still want to face the trial today. I _know _I can beat it, because I am a Fairy Tail mage!" Lucy said with conviction.

The King smiled. "Very good. You have passed the first portion of your trial."

Lucy almost fell over as the King said this. "Eh! What do you mean I passed the first portion of the trial?"

"The first portion was a verbal test to see your conviction to your guild and friends, and how much you believed in your own strength. By still wanting to attempt the trial, you have shown that you have grown spiritually. Think of the girl you were when you first joined you guild. Do you think she would have answered me so surely?"

Lucy thought about it and realized the truth in the king's words. She grinned; proud of the person Fairy Tail had turned her into. "I _will_ pass this trial. I'm not doing it just for me; I'm doing it for all my friends who are waiting patiently for me return. _They _are my strength. _They_ are the reason I am who I am today."

"Very well. Let us finish discussing the trial, and you may head off to face it at noon."

. . .

End of the second chapter! Hope you enjoyed reading it, I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as possible.


	3. The Trial Begins

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't written in a while. I haven't had a lot of ideas for the chapter and I'd been really unmotivated to do anything... Anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

. . .

The pink-haired mage walked sluggishly into the guild Fairy Tail. He plodded over to the bar and sat down. He was followed by a blue exceed, his best friend, Happy who flew behind the boy and landed on the bar next to him.

"Are you guys okay?" Mira asked worriedly. They both slumped over simultaneously and replied with a tired groan. Mira fetched them both a drink and gave it to them. "On the house," she said with a smile. Natsu took a swig from his drink. "Thanks." He replied, regaining a bit of energy. "You guys have been taking more work than ever lately; maybe you should take it easy for a while." Mira said.

Now Natsu looked up at Mira. "I can't." He said blankly. "I need the money to cover Lucy's rent while she's away and food money for Happy and I."

"Aye," Happy replied groggily. "Hey Natsu, can we go get lunch now? I'm starving!" He asked his partner. "Yeah, me too," Natsu answered. He took one final swig from the drink Mira had given him and stood up. "Alright, we're off again! C'mon Happy, let's go find a place to eat!" Natsu called to his exceed partner. They left the guild as Lisanna entered. As they passed each other, they exchanged hellos. Lisanna approached the bar to talk to her older sister.

"Hey sis, where's Natsu headed off to now? Don't tell me he and Happy are off to find more work…" Lisanna asked.

"No, they headed out to find somewhere to eat." Mira replied.

Lisanna took a seat at the bar. "They were really close, weren't they?" She said after a few moments of thought. Mira looked closely at her sister before answering. "Yeah,"

Lisanna looked into the distance, thinking. "I bet…" She started, "that they were closer than him and I had been. Even in the short amount of time they'd known each other." Mira looked thoughtfully. "Maybe"

As Lisanna thought about it more carefully, she smiled. At first when she had originally returned, she had been a little jealous of Lucy and Natsu's relationship, but then she had known thing would be different when she'd returned. She had come to terms with it though, and it was hard to stay jealous when Lucy had been such a likable person. She and Natsu were still friends, even if they weren't as close as they once had been. Everyone has that one childhood friend whom they've grew apart from. Lisanna looked at Mira and smiled.

"I hope she comes back soon."

"Yeah, me too."

It had been about three months since Lucy disappeared. When the rest of the members of Fairy Tail had heard that Lucy had disappeared, they had all been shocked and, for a time, depressed. For a while it seemed as if the guild had been missing something, and it had been, Lucy. Everything had seemed off balance, as if Lucy's lack of presence had thrown everything out of whack. But as the time passed, people eventually came around, and things began to return to normal. Everyone was excited for the day when Lucy would return, and it became a regular topic of conversation. Lucy's disappearance had affected one person the most though, and of course that was Natsu. Since she'd disappeared, he started taking more work, and he'd go to Lucy's house every once in a while to clean of it and make sure everything was in its place. He took care of Lucy, even if she wasn't there to be taken care of. Something about Natsu had changed; it was almost as though Lucy's disappearance had matured him somewhat. Some of the guild members worried about him, and like Mira, urged him to take less work. But his response would always be the same. Many believed that things would go back to normal with Lucy's return, and so, they waited, always praying that that day would be the day where Lucy would return.

. . .

Lucy stood in the main hall of the Celestial Sprit King's castle. She was doing a final check of materials for her trial. The King had assured her that the trial was doable in one day. She was expected to arrive at the lake by nightfall. He had confiscated her keys, so she wouldn't be tempted to use them. All of the materials Lucy was allowed to use were inside an orange backpack. The backpack would be almost impossible to lose at night, to Lucy's relief; it practically glowed in the dark. Lucy checked the insides of the backpack to make sure it contained all of the materials the King had approved. There was a thin black sleeping bag, a knife, a half-gallon bottle of water, a coil of wire, a pack of crackers and a box of matches. Lucy valued every one of these materials since she would have to rely on herself for dinner that night and she had never hunted before. On missions similar to the trial, she usually would rely on her teammates to find food. This made her realize what a hindrance she might've been, serving as only another mouth to feed. Last of all, she felt for her fleuve d'étoiles, the only weapon she would be allowed to use against Hydra. Feeling it against her hips, on her belt, she sighed. She had all of the materials she'd been allowed. The time was about 11:50. The King would allow her to leave in 10 minutes.

The King had explained to her that Hydra lived in a lake called Ptolemy Lake, and in order to get to the lake she would have to travel through a forest called Alphard Woods, named after the largest tree in it; the Alphard tree.

Having checked all her materials, she slung the backpack over her shoulders. "C'mon Plue, we're leaving now." And she began to walk toward the door that led to the outside. Although the King had said Lucy was not allowed to bring any spirits to aid her in her fight against Hydra, she'd been allowed to bring Plue for company. "Puuuun!" Plue called out, and he meandered his way after Lucy.

Once outside, Lucy looked around. In the distance she could see Alphard Woods, where she would be headed. She quickly located the Alphard tree as well. It truly was the largest tree. It stood about three times as tall as the other trees, and Lucy had a great view of it even though it was said to be located in the middle of the woods.

Loki stood leaning against the castle. The King had given him orders to make sure Lucy left at 12 and no sooner. He checked his watch; it was 11:58. "Hey, Lucy!" He called. Lucy glanced back at him, and he beckoned her over.

"Hey, be careful okay?" He said as she walked closer. "All of us are going to be cheering for you back here." Lucy smiled. "Don't worry, I _will_ pass this trial. And once I pass, I can head home! I can't wait to see everyone." Lucy said excitedly.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself okay? For now, just focus on the trial."

"Right!" Lucy said, refocusing herself. Loki checked his watch again, it was exactly noon. "Okay Lucy, you can head out now, good luck!"

Lucy breathed in and out slowly. She glanced at Plue, who sat on the ground trying to eat a brightly colored flower. "C'mon Plue, it's time to head out now!" And she started to walk toward Alphard Woods. "Pupuuuun!" Plue called out as he stood up, having decided the flower didn't taste that great anyway, and trotted after Lucy.

The Celestial Spirit King watched as the girl walked further and further and became smaller to the eye. He worried about her; he too, wanted her to arrive safely home. _Lucy, _he thought, _you yourself aren't aware of what strength you possess. Let this trial show you what you are capable of, and may you succeed and be allowed home. _The King sighed, giving the girl one last glance, and walked away from the window.

. . .

That's it for this chapter, hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think! Anyone read The Hunger Games? There's a reference to it in this chapter, anyone know what it is?


	4. Eppla

Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated this story! I've found myself really unmotivated to write, and I didn't know where exactly I wanted to take this story. Finally I made myself write and got this chapter, enjoy! Also, a word of thanks to everyone who left a review, I love getting feedback!

. . .

"It's so far!" Lucy whined to Plue. Her trial had begun about an hour ago, and she still had not reached Alphard Woods. They had seemed so close when they'd left the Celestial Spirit King's castle, only now did Lucy realize how far away the woods really were.

"Puun…" Plue replied. He had faithfully walked with Lucy the whole time, and showed no signs of fatigue.

Lucy sighed, and said "I guess you're right Plue, I can't give up this easily! I have to do this for everyone back home so I can see them again and not worry them any longer! Besides I've done tons of things more difficult than this with Natsu, Happy, Erza and Gray back home, I shouldn't be complaining." Lucy looked back down at the small dog and smiled. "Thanks for the pep talk Plue"

"Pupuuun!" Was Plue's reply.

Alphard Woods became larger and larger as Plue and Lucy walked toward it. After another fifteen minutes of walking, the two finally reached the opening of the forest. Only now did Lucy truly see the size of the trees in Alphard Woods. She compared them to trees back home, and figured they were about double the size and height of an average tree. Lucy stood at the opening of the forest, looking into them. They seemed eerie and mysterious to Lucy; she felt drawn to them and felt the need to get far away from them at the same time. Just then, a wind blew and it added to the feeling. It chilled Lucy, and she shivered.

"Puuun" Plue said cheerfully as he found a delicious-looking blue apple that was suspiciously large. Lucy noticed what the dog was doing as he lifted the apple to his mouth, ready to eat it.

"No, Plue! Don't eat that, it could be pois-"

"Hey what's the big idea pal?" The blue apple Plue had been about to eat had awoken, revealing a face. Lucy looked at it in shock.

The apple jumped out of Plue's reach, it had tiny, beady eyes that were now narrowed at Plue. Small, stick-like arms that had also gone unnoticed by Lucy were now crossed across the apple's chest.

"What kindoffa world do we live in where a lone Eppla can't get some shut eye without almost being eaten?" The apple asked in disgust.

"Uhh… I'm very sorry about that Mr. Apple sir, Plue doesn't know any better…" Lucy began awkwardly.

The apple's eyes widened, its pointy nose twitched as though in anger. "Did you juss call me an apple?" It asked quietly. "Uhh.." Lucy started.

"The nerve!" It yelled while throwing its skinny arms in the air. "I cannot believe my ears!" It continued. Lucy grew concerned. It was clear she had made the apple- or whatever it was angry, and she didn't like the sound of pissing off an unknown creature from an unknown forest in an unknown world.

"Wait! Wait, I'm, uh.. sorry! I'm not from around here! Please forgive me" Lucy said. The apple looked at Lucy again, and after a moment's thought breathed outward.

"Fine," It said. "But dun let it happen again." "I won't," was her reply. "But what a_re _you exactly?" She refrained from mentioning how similar the creature looked to an apple, afraid of upsetting it again.

"I" The creature began as it walked over to Plue, who sat on the ground sucking on a lollipop he apparently had brought with him. With some effort, the creature climbed on top of Plue's head and sat. Plue blinked in curiosity, but otherwise left the apple in peace. "Am an Eppla!"

"An… Eppla?" Lucy said. She had never before heard of such a creature.

"That's right!"

"O…Okay, well I'm Lucy, and the Nicola you're sitting on is known as Plue!"

"Lucy and Plue, huh? Well I'm Alphred. Alphred the Eppla, not-so-pleased to meet 'ya after the rude awakening this guy gave me." Alphred said and pointed his tiny finger at Plue.

"Ahaha.. Sorry about that." Lucy said.

"Dun worry 'bout it darling" He replied.

Just then, the three heard a rustling from a nearby bush followed by a horn. When Lucy glanced over, she saw three red Eppla standing there, glaring back at her.

"There's a girl there! A human girl!" One said.

"She's with one of the _red_ ones though, she must be an enemy!" Another one said.

"We must report this to the blue leader! The red ones have gained a new ally!" The last said. They chattered quietly among one another for a few more seconds, and then threw pebbles at Lucy, Alphred and Plue before running away.

"Uhm… What was that about?" She asked.

"Those are the blue Eppla, we red Eppla are at war with them. You'd better stay away from them now; they think yer an enemy."

"Eh? What are you talking about? _Those_ guys were the red ones, you're blue."

"Are ya' blind or something? I'm as red as red can be. My mother even named me for my brilliant red coloring, Alph_red._" Lucy sighed, deciding not to pursue the matter. "Anyway, we have to go now; I have to go defeat Hydra so I can return home" She said. "C'mon Plue," She called. "Puuun" He called out and stood to walk over to Lucy. Alphred jumped off of Plue's head and looked at Lucy. "Defeat Hydra? Yer crazy, but good luck!" He waved goodbye and scurried off into the forest.

"Okay Plue, now we just have to head toward the Alphard tree, and we'll be halfway there!" "Pupuuun!" Lucy looked up and quickly found the huge tree she was searching for; it didn't seem to be too far away. "Okay Plue, we'll head there, and when we arrive we can rest and have a short lunch!" With that said, Lucy walked with purpose toward the giant tree.

It was around 2 in the afternoon when Lucy reached the Alphard tree. She leaned her head as far back as it could go, and still couldn't see the top of the tree. "It's so huge!" she exclaimed. "Puuun…" Plue responded in wonder. He waddled to the base of the large tree and sat. "Right, now we can rest for a while!" Lucy said to Plue. "You stay here; I'll go see if I can catch some lunch." It might have been a magical forest in a different world, but Lucy recalled seeing some animals she recognized while they'd hiked to the tree. Before she left, Lucy thought for a moment. _How am I even going to find something we can eat anyway? How am I going to catch anything also?_

"Ah! That's right! My backpack!" She said excitedly to herself as she took the bag off of her back to examine its contents. _Hmm… I definitely need the knife. _She thought and took the knife out of her pack. _I bet I can set some traps up with this coil. _And she retrieved the coil from the bag. _And I'll need bait if I'm setting up traps._ She looked at the pack of crackers, and decided that they could work as bait. She had considered not hunting at all and just eating the crackers originally, but knew they wouldn't be sufficient nourishment.

"O-okay, I'm off!" She said uncertainly. This would be her first time catching her own food, and she didn't want to mess it up. As she moved away from the tree, she wondered where a good spot to set up a trap would be. _Now that I think about it, how will I even set up these traps?_ She thought uneasily.

_Well, there's no giving up now, I have to do it!_ Lucy thought and sighed. After searching for a while, she found a spot where she believed there might be animals nearby. After studying the area for a while, she designed a trap which might catch her food. She placed two crackers down on the ground as bait and studied her work. _This will work. _She thought confidently. _I'll head back to check on Plue, besides; no animal will come near as long as I'm here. _And the girl headed back to the Alphard Tree.

"Puuun?" Plue asked as he was awakened from his rest. "How was your nap?" Lucy asked the small creature with a smile. She walked over to the tree and seated herself next to Plue. "The trap's all set up, but how long should I wait before I go check it?" She wondered aloud. "Puuun…" Plue answered. "You think so?" Lucy said thoughtfully. "I don't want to lose too much time, we still have a long way to go…" After a word from Plue and a moment's thought, Lucy decided to check in about 20 minutes, and so for that time she sat against the tree, waiting and resting.

"Alright, I'm going to check the trap now." Lucy said, standing up and dusting herself off. She found her way to her traps quickly, she'd used her knife to make marks on trees she passed by so would lose the location of her trap. As she approached, her face fell.

"What the heck happened?" She said desperately. Her trap was cut in multiple spots; completely destroyed and unable to catch anything. "Did an animal do this? Did I not make my trap strong enough?" She said sadly. Suddenly, she heard cackling, and looked over to see herself approached by a group of red Eppla.

"Ally of the red Eppla! We have destroyed your traps so you cannot catch anything!" One yelled at her.

"Only misfortune shall come to the red Eppla and all who are allies of them!" Another one yelled.

"Good job my troops," The smallest one said to the rest. The others around it all cheered. "The blue leader has praised us!" They all cheered.

Lucy felt annoyed by the small pests. She had worked hard on her trap and they destroyed it. She was hungry and tight on time; she had to get to Ptolemy Lake to retrieve a scale off of Hydra. The longer Lucy thought about it, the more aggravated she felt. Something had to be done about these pests.

Lucy stomped over to the group of cheering Epplas and picked the smallest one up. "Who do you think you are messing up my traps, huh? I have things I need to do you know!" The small Eppla in her hand seemed to shrink even more, and began to shake. "H-help me!" It called out after a moment.

"The ally of the reds is kidnapping our leader!" One shouted. Lucy soon found herself being swarmed by Epplas. They climbed onto her legs and attacked. The attacks felt like small, sharp stings to Lucy. "Ouch! Cut it out!" She yelled as she shook the creatures off her legs, only for them to get back up and run at her again. "Ouch!" Lucy yelled again, and began to run back toward the Alphard Tree, still clutching the small red Eppla.

"She's taking the leader!" The Epplas called out and chased Lucy. Finally Lucy arrived back at the tree. "Plue! I'm being attacked! She yelled. "Puuun…?" Plue said questioningly. The Epplas arrived, and attacked Lucy's legs again. She hadn't expected them to catch up so quickly, and dropped the Eppla she was holding in surprise. After the leader landed on the ground, it scurried a good distance away from Lucy. Regaining its mightiness again, it yelled "Continue to attack the red ally!"

"Puuun!" Plue said as he recognized the creatures assaulting Lucy's legs. They looked like the creature that had sat on his head earlier; they must be friendly! Plue began to approach them.

Lucy was surprised to hear a yell coming from the smallest Eppla, the one the rest called the leader.

"I-it can't be!" It yelled and pointed at Plue in horror. "It exists! The mythical blue Eppla eater!" Plue looked at the leader, "Puun?" He asked, causing the leader to yelp in fear.

"Retreat my blue Epplas, run away before it eats us all!" Quickly, the stinging on Lucy's legs stopped as the Epplas began to scream and run away.

Lucy looked down at Plue in wonder, and a smile grew on her face. "Good job Plue! They won't be bothering us anymore!"

"Puun…" was his reply. He didn't truly understand what had happened.

Lucy sighed and rubbed her legs where the Epplas had attacked her. "I'm glad that's over-" Her stomach growled, "That's right! I still haven't caught any lunch!" She cried. "And we can't waste any more time! Okay, Plue, you stay here, I'll go set up another trap. I'll catch food and we'll get going again in no time!" And then Lucy ran off to set up her trap.

"Puuun…" Plue said and walked back to the tree, deciding to take another nap.

. . .

"That was a good lunch!" Lucy announced 50 minutes later. She had managed to catch a large rabbit, kill it, clean it and cook it, thanks to her knife and her box of matches. She had felt bad about killing the rabbit, and didn't enjoy cleaning it, but she knew it was necessary; she had to eat. She knew she would never take for granted the food back home that would already be prepared for her. "Puuun~" Plue said in agreement. Lucy gathered her items, and threw the rabbit scraps away. She stood up and put her bag back onto her back. "Okay Plue, let's get going now!"

The pair left the tree then, walking in the direction of Ptolemy Lake. Lucy found herself refreshed from the break, and her spirit was restored; she was ready to finish the trial and return home.

. . .

Thanks for reading the latest chapter of Celestial Trial and hope you liked it!


	5. The Next Morning

Gahh! It's been ages since I've written anything! It was due to a combination of many things: schoolwork, finals, laziness, and lack of ideas. Also, I'd sit myself down and get ready to write something, and get distracted by something else. I'm sorry!

On a different note, thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited my story, I really appreciate it! Now onward with the next chapter of Celestial Trial!

. . .

Lucy stared up at starry night sky from her spot lying down in her sleeping bag. "I had been hoping to finish this whole trial in one day, but I guess that isn't happening now, huh Plue?"

"Puuun…" A tired Plue responds. "I'd feel a little better about this if I knew how far we are from Ptolemy Lake…" She yawns. "It's been about six months for everyone back home now," Lucy says sadly. "But this will all be over with soon. I'm sorry everyone, I'll be home real soon!" After a while of lying and thinking, Lucy finally drifts off to a peaceful sleep.

. . .

"What an ugly day, huh Charle?" Wendy sighed on a particularly cold and rainy day as they finally arrived at Fairy Tail; rain was pouring without signs of stopping, making it hard to see. Even though Fairy Hills was located close to the guild, they had still had a tough time making it there in the weather.

"It is. What a shame too, we were supposed to go on a mission with Erza and Gray today, weren't we?" the Exceed responded.

"Mmm," The girl answered. "But I don't think we'll be able to leave at this rate. It's raining really hard out and visibility is low. Oh! But Erza-san and Gray-san are sitting over there, let's go ask them."

Erza looked up as Wendy approached the table she and Gray were seated at. "Ahh, Wendy and Charle, take a seat." She said and gestured at the empty chairs at the table. The girl and Exceed did so, and Erza spoke again.

"I don't think we'll be able to leave for our mission with the weather like this." She glanced at the window, a frown forming on her face. "I figured as much." Wendy responded.

"We'll just have to leave tomorrow, or wait the rain out. It can't be helped." Gray said with a shrug.

"Charle and Wendy are here!" Happy called out gleefully as he landed on the table and looked excitedly at Charle, who refused to meet his stare, a look of annoyance forming on her face.

"Happy!" Wendy said. "If you're here, does that mean Natsu-san's here as well? I've hardly seen either of you lately!"

"Aye! He's over there picking out another mission." Happy's face seemed to fall a bit as he said this.

"Another mission? That idiot plans to take on a request in weather like this?" Gray grumbled.

"Happy? Is something wrong?" Wendy asked, having noticed the blue Exceed's expression.

"Well, at first I didn't mind, because I want to help Natsu take care of Lucy's house and rent as well, but now lately he doesn't seem as cheerful as he used to, and he always seems tired…" Happy explained.

"He's working too much. He needs to take a break from the constant missions. He's not the only one who wants to take care of Lucy, but he still won't allow any of us help! That idiot!" Erza said angrily, slamming her fist on the table on the word idiot.

"Well, this has to stop, look at him, he's exhausting himself!" She continued. "Hey! Natsu, come over here!" Natsu glanced over at the table to see Erza beckoning him over, and began to make his way over. When he made it to the table, the group could truly see the effects that constant working had had on him. His eyes didn't seem as alert as they usually did, and the normal eager glint in his eyes wasn't there. There were bags under his eyes and just one look at the boy was enough to tell he needed a long rest.

"What do you want?" Natsu asked, trying his best to sound normal and to push any type of fatigue out of his voice; however his efforts were wasted as his voice was still laced with exhaustion.

"Listen, Natsu," Gray began. "Maybe you shouldn't take a job today" He gestured to the mission form in Natsu's hand. "You look exhausted, and besides, it's miserable out, take a day off!"

Natsu's eyes narrowed, he was beginning to get sick of everyone in the guild telling him this. "I'm fine." He said in a flat tone. "C'mon Happy, let's go." He said and turned to leave.

"Natsu, I think you should listen-" Happy began worriedly before being cut off.

"Natsu! You're exhausted and you need to take a break! Now I'm telling you to rest!" Erza commanded.

Natsu's teeth clenched in annoyance, he spun around to face the group once more, and anger was apparent on his face.

"I said, I'M FINE!" He exploded, gaining the attention of the entire guild. He turned around for a final time. "Now let's go Happy," He said in a much calmer tone as he began to walk away.

"Natsu…" Happy said worriedly, but followed after his best friend nevertheless.

The whole guild was shocked when they heard a loud thud, and found an exhausted Natsu lying on the ground, passed out.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy cried out and ran to his side. She was soon joined by Erza and Gray. Happy stood with tears in his eyes beside his friend. "Natsu…" He muttered.

"Looks like he passed out due to exhaustion, he probably used up the remains of his strength to yell at us like that." Erza said.

"His face is unusually warm as well; do you think he developed a fever?" Wendy asked as she felt the boy's forehead, concern all over her face.

"Let's just find a place to lie him down for now. We can't bring him to Porlyusica right now because of the weather." Erza said, and lifted up Natsu's body.

The whole guild watched with concern as Erza brought Natsu into one of the back rooms of the guild.

. . .

Lucy woke up to a bright warm and sunny morning, and to see Plue looking at an odd-shaped rock with consideration, deciding whether or not it was edible.

"Ahh! Plue don't eat that!" And she dived to catch the small dog before he could decide. She sighed, this morning was already off to a great start, and looked at the small dog again. "Why don't I go find us some breakfast, huh?" She asked with a smile.

In a surprisingly short amount of time, Lucy arrived back at the site she and Plue had slept at with breakfast. She had run into Alphred again, and with his help she was able to tell which types of vegetation were edible and which were poisonous. She had also managed to catch some type of bird with another trap she had set up, so she and Plue enjoyed a small breakfast of bird and berries. After they had eaten, Lucy threw away their food scrapes, and began to pack up. When she was done with that, she slung her backpack over her back, and looked at the sky. It was still early, between 9 and 10, she decided. Finally, she looked down at Plue. "You ready to return home today?" She asked. "Puuun…" was his response.

As they walked, Lucy wondered again how far from Ptolemy Lake they were. She wanted to get there as soon as she could, to get the trial over quicker. _How am I going to get a scale off of Hydra?_ She wondered to herself. _The King said Hydra was mean-spirited; that I would probably have to fight him…_ She sighed. A battle, just her luck, she wouldn't be that tough of a fighter on her own.

_But I can't think of that! Failure isn't an option, I have to get home! I'll figure something out. I'm not completely helpless; I have my Fleuve d'Etoiles with me! _

"Huh?" She was pulled out of her thoughts as she felt Plue poking her leg and looked down at the creature. "What is it?"

"Pupupuuuun!" Plue cried excitedly and pointed toward some brush. Lucy followed to where Plue was, and was overcome with surprise. Just through the brush was gently rippling water, of a deep blue coloration. Lucy approached the brush cautiously, and ducked into them to look. Before her was a large body of water. "Ptolemy Lake!" She whispered excitedly. "Good job Plue!" She said and pulled the creature into a hug. "We did it! We made it to Ptolemy Lake! Now, you stay here Plue, because I can't have any help when I face Hydra, and I don't want you to get hurt anyway." Lucy stood up, depositing her backpack beside Plue, and walked through the brush, ready to face Hydra. _This is it._ She thought. _After this, I can return home!_

_ . . ._

That's it for this chapter! Leaving you on such a note, I'm sorry! I plan to have the next chapter out very soon, as in the next couple of days though, so it's not too bad. Thanks for reading this chapter of Celestial Trial, and as always reviews are much appreciated!


	6. Hydra, the Water Snake

As promised, back with the next chapter of Celestial Trial. I think this is also going to be the longest chapter of the story, enjoy!

. . .

Lucy glanced around at her surroundings as she stepped through the brush to fully arrive at Ptolemy Lake. The lake was calm and beautiful, and abundant with life. She noticed that the vegetation closest to the lake seemed more lavish than that of the vegetation in the rest of Alphard forest. Her attention was captured by two dragonflies which had flown past her ear, and watched as the pair danced across the water. She noticed the sounds of the lake; birds chirping happily to one another, and the sounds of rustling leaves as a light breeze blew them. Lucy smiled, feeling calmed by her surroundings. _But no giant water snakes anywhere, _she thought to herself. She took a step forward, prepared to look around for Hydra, and then suddenly veered her head to the right, where a loud crash had caught her attention.

Lucy was shocked to see a large snake come plowing through trees and bushes, heading straight for her. _Move Lucy! _She thought to herself, but found she was frozen in place. She watched in horror as the snake came right for her while she remained unable to move. The snake stopped before it could crash into her, and stood before her. "Hydra…" Lucy whispered to herself.

Hydra's scales were a deep purple in color, and looked as though they were made of some sort of beautiful stone. "Leave now" He hissed, and Lucy looked up to see two intimidating beady eyes boring into her. She opened her mouth to respond, but her breath was taken away with a small _oof_ as Hydra whipped his tail right into her torso, sending Lucy flying backward until she hit a tree. She winced in pain as she pulled herself into an upright position, until she was sitting against the tree, trying to catch her breath. _No, _she thought. _Those scales definitely aren't made of stone, but they sure are strong!_ Finally, she made herself stand up, and tried approaching the snake a second time.

"Hydra!" She began. "I've come because I need-" She was cut off as once again, she was sent flying backwards by Hydra's tail. "Ouch…" She muttered to herself, clutching her abdomen as she stood up once again.

"I have no interest in hearing what you've come for, human." He spat. "Just _leave!" _

_He isn't going to listen to me…_ Lucy thought. _How am I going to do this!_

She breathed in and out, wincing in pain as she did this, to calm herself. "Since you won't listen to me, I'll just have to take what I've come for by force!" Lucy yelled, while grabbing her Fleuve d'Etoiles. Quickly, she used it to wrap around Hydra's mouth, and swung herself on top of him. Hydra's eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head back and forth in a vain attempt to get the whip off of his mouth. Lucy stood slightly unsteady on Hydra's head as he did this, but did not fall off, and glanced down at Hydra's scales. _They're all so perfect and smooth, how am I going to get one off of him? _She thought to herself. Hydra growled in irritation, and violently swung his head downwards, and then up, successfully sending Lucy flying upward off of him.

"Ahh!" Lucy yelled as she felt herself being jerked off of Hydra's head and up towards the sky. Quickly, the sky was replaced by blue as she flipped in air to face downwards. She watched in terror as the lake came closer and closer until she crashed into it. Both her mouth and nose were filled with water as she plunged downward, and she struggled to breathe. After a few moments she resurfaced, gasping for air and coughing up water. She used her Fleuve d'Etoiles to grapple onto a branch of a nearby tree, and sat on it, trying to rid her lungs of water and fill them with air.

Once Lucy had caught her breath, she stood up on her branch and looked down at Hydra, her eyes narrowing. Hydra looked smugly back at the girl, eyes filled with amusement. "Are you ready to leave now?" He asked.

"No! I came here because I had something I needed to accomplish both for myself and for my friends, and I won't leave until I have one of your scales!" She yelled back.

Hydra's eyes widened in realization of the girl's reason for trespassing in his territory, and then narrowed in anger. Quickly, he rammed into the tree Lucy stood in, causing the girl to fall out.

"Ouch…" Lucy said to herself as she checked the damage sustained. Her legs and arms were now cut up and bleeding, but she hadn't broken anything. She stood up, wincing as she felt a pain in her chest. Her stomach would definitely be bruised badly, and she was praying that all the damage she had taken hadn't broken a rib, but that was something she would have to worry about another time.

"Let's try this again…" Lucy said to herself. Using Fleuve d'Etoiles she once again wrapped the snake's mouth shut, and swung up to his head. Once atop his head, she released his mouth and wrapped the whip around the snake's tail. She urged it to come forward, and jumped off the snake's head while still pulling his tail forward.

_If I can tie his body in a knot, he won't be able to move!_ Lucy thought to herself as she landed safely on the ground. The snake collapsed onto its side, being unbalanced from having his tail in such an unnatural position.

"It's working!" Lucy said triumphantly. Hydra began writhing and wriggling on the ground, desperate to get out of the position. Suddenly Lucy was thrown off her feet by the force of the writhing snake, for her own strength was not enough to hold the snake down. Fleuve d'Etoiles released the snake's tail as Lucy was thrown forward.

Lucy quickly turned the force throwing her forward into a roll, and pulled out of it quickly to stand and turn to face Hydra. Her teeth clenched as a realization hit her.

_I can't beat him like this! There's no time to plan a line of attack with him whipping me around like this! I have to get away and regroup for now! _As Lucy thought this, she quickly looked around for an area where she could escape. She saw a clearing through a pair of trees and ran toward it.

As Hydra stood up, grateful to escape that awful position, he saw the blonde girl running away. Hydra's eyes narrowed as he saw this. He was seriously pissed now. There was no way he was going to let the girl escape! He quickly slithered after the girl.

_Crap! He's following me! _ Lucy thought. She urged her tired and bloody legs to run faster. _Just through those trees! _She thought. As the trees came into view Lucy dived into the clearing, praying the snake would give up upon seeing that she had left his territory.

Hydra growled as he followed the girl who had dived through a pair of trees. "You won't escape that easily!" He hissed. Lucy turned around to see Hydra following her, but both looked at each other in surprise as they realized Hydra wasn't getting any closer to Lucy.

"He's… Stuck between the trees!" Lucy exclaimed in shock. Hydra looked at the girl with just as much surprise on his face. He urged his body forward, yet it wouldn't move. The trees of Alphard Forest were thick and strong, and Hydra found himself unable to budge. He was truly stuck between the trees!

"Well… This wasn't the plan, but it'll do." Lucy said. She moved around the pair of trees to examine the body of the snake. Behind, she found his body was still lashing around, desperate to move forward, but it wasn't nearly the nuisance that it had been during their earlier fight. Using a branch, she grappled her way on top of the snake, and examined his scales. Moving around on him was uneasy due to his moving body, but Lucy managed.

"Ah! That's perfect!" She exclaimed as she found a scale she could take. This scale was near the trees where Hydra had lodged himself, and it stuck out a bit. It wasn't as perfectly smooth as the rest of the snake's scales. She took out her whip and spoke to Hydra.

"Finally, what I've come for! Once I have this, I can return home! Despite how difficult you've made this for me, thank you Hydra, you're making it possible for me to return home. I truly apologize if this hurts at all." As Lucy said this, the writhing of Hydra's body increased; the girl planned on pulling out one of his scales!

Lucy used her whip to grab the scale, and pulled. She was met by a surprising amount of resistance, and pulled harder. Finally, the scale relented, and Lucy fell backward. Hydra yowled in pain as he felt his scale get yanked out. His writhing began to subside. What was the use? The girl had gotten what she had come for, and would now leave his territory. Of course, he _was _still stuck between the trees…

Lucy picked up the scale and examined it. It was warm to the touch, and hard. She could truly appreciate its purple coloration as she held it in her hands. Something about it felt… _alive;_ Lucy felt something mysterious radiating from it as she held it in her hands. At last, she slid off of Hydra, and walked around to face him.

"Thanks!" She said with a smile, before heading off to the brush to place the scale in her backpack and retrieve Plue.

Hydra sighed as the girl left. He resumed his writhing, determined to dislodge himself from between the trees. He was surprised when he saw the girl walk back to him, with an orange backpack and a Nicola by her side.

"Do you really think I would just leave you like that?" The girl asked with a smile. Hydra had no response, he just blinked in surprise.

"I'm going to try to help you get out, but these trees are pretty thick so it might take a while." Lucy said.

_This is going to take a while, and I don't really have a lot of time to spare; I have to get home, but I can't just leave him like this! I was the one who got him stuck in the first place… _Lucy thought. She sighed as she took out her Fleuve d'Etoiles, and used it to grab one of the trees.

"I'm going to pull on this tree, and hopefully it'll bend enough for you to escape." Lucy said to Hydra. She began to pull, and Hydra resumed his writhing, heartened by the girl's kind act. After a few minutes, Hydra felt himself begin to give way, and he finally slipped through the trees.

"It worked!" Lucy exclaimed happily. She turned to face Hydra, but was frozen in place upon looking at him.

_Is he going to attack me again? Maybe I shouldn't have helped him after all… _Lucy thought to herself. Hydra looked down at the girl, who now had a scared expression on her face, and felt amused. "Thank you." He spoke. Lucy looked at him again, feeling surprise, and then smiled. "You're welcome, but now I really do have to go!" She glanced at the sky; it now looked to be past noon, and frowned. _How long will it take me to get back? _She wondered.

"Where are you headed?" Hydra asked.

"I need to report back to the Celestial King's castle, to show the King the scale I've gotten, so I can return home." Lucy frowned; it was going to take a while to walk all the way through Alphard Forest again.

"To show my thanks for helping, I will take you to the edge of Alphard Forest. That will surely save you much-needed time, would it not?" Hydra said.

Lucy looked at Hydra and exclaimed "Yes! Thank you!"

. . .

"Thank you Hydra!" Lucy said to the snake as they arrived at the edge of Alphard Forest, where Hydra had promised to take her.

"Pupuuun!" Plue thanked the snake as well.

Lucy slid off of Hydra, feeling slightly wobbly on her feet after riding on the snake and looked at the sky again. Not too much time had passed, and Lucy figured she and Plue had plenty of time to walk back to the castle now. The snake nodded his head, and slithered back into the forest, heading back toward his lake.

"Well, come on Plue! We aren't done yet!" Lucy said as she began walking. Plue meandered after her.

_This is it, _Lucy thought with a smile. _I've completed my trial! This is the home stretch, and then I can return home!_

. . .

That's the end of this chapter! What did you think? It is my first time writing a battle scene, and I found it a little difficult since Lucy isn't that strong and she only had a whip, not to mention the fact she was facing a giant snake. Anyway, let me know how you think I did! As always, feedback is always much appreciated!


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